Can I finance used restaurant equipment from an auction?

Yes. Used food-service equipment is financeable, typically at a shorter term and higher down payment than new. Auction purchases need approval arranged in advance because settlement is usually within 48-72 hours of the sale.

Does installation and freight get financed too?

Usually. Most partners will include installation, freight, and permit costs up to roughly 20% of the hard equipment cost. Pure leasehold improvements — flooring, drywall, plumbing rough-in — generally need a different structure.

We are a brand-new location with no sales history. What now?

If you operate other units, we place against those. If this is a true first location, we look at the franchise brand, your personal credit and industry experience, and typically ask for 15-20% down. First-time independent operators are the hardest file in this category but not an automatic decline.

How does this compare to leasing from the equipment dealer?

Dealer leases are convenient and often more expensive over the full term, and they lock you to one vendor's catalog. Financing lets you buy from any supplier, own the asset, and take the Section 179 treatment. We will run both numbers if you want the comparison in writing.

Food service

Restaurant Equipment Financing

A kitchen build-out is the rare capital expense where the equipment, the installation, and the timeline are all on the critical path to opening day. Every week of delay is a week of rent with no covers. Restaurant equipment financing exists to keep a hood system or a walk-in from becoming the reason a location opens in October instead of August.

Quick answer

Restaurant equipment financing for kitchen build-outs, hood systems, walk-ins, and POS. $25K to $3M for independents, franchisees, and multi-unit groups.

Price restaurant equipment financing

Two quick steps. An advisor responds within 24-48 hours.

The numbers on this asset

Typical build-out cost

$85K quick-service – $600K full-service kitchen

Financed range

$25K – $3M (single unit through multi-location rollout)

Term

24 – 72 months

Soft costs

Installation, freight, and permits often financeable up to ~20% of the package

Who finances restaurant equipment

Franchisees hitting a brand-mandated equipment refresh or remodel deadline
Independent operators taking over a second-generation space that needs hood, HVAC, and refrigeration work
Ghost kitchen and commissary operators outfitting multiple stations at once
Established groups replacing aging refrigeration before a summer failure takes out inventory

Recent structure

Second location before the lease clock ran out

A two-unit fast-casual operator in Texas signed a lease with a hard rent-commencement date and needed $214,000 of kitchen equipment plus hood and installation. Their bank wanted two years of tax returns on the new entity, which did not exist. We placed the full package — including $31,000 of installation and freight — at 60 months against the trailing sales of unit one. Approved in 26 hours, equipment ordered the same week, opened on schedule.

What underwriting actually looks at

Approvals on this asset class turn on a short list of specifics. Have these ready and most files get an answer inside 24-48 hours.

Trailing 6-12 months of sales through the POS or merchant processor — the cleanest signal in this industry

Franchise brand and FDD, which can meaningfully improve terms for approved concepts

Whether the equipment is new from a dealer, used from a restaurant auction, or a mix

Lease term remaining on the location: lenders want the amortization inside the lease, not past it

Restaurant Equipment financing questions

Other equipment we place

Building systems

HVAC & Refrigeration

$25K – $4M including installation

Pre-owned & auction

Used Equipment

$25K – $4M

Under 2 years in business

Startup Equipment

$25K – $750K typical for a true startup

Get restaurant equipment financing priced

Send the unit, the invoice or auction lot, and three months of bank statements. Approvals typically come back in 24-48 hours and funding follows in 5-10 business days.

Start Your Funding Conversation

All equipment financing